This
fantastic creation showing Begtse and his retinue inside a skeletal
shrine is the work of Suren, a famous Mongol sculptor of the early
twentieth century. Almost dwarfed by his tall crown, the fierce
protector of Mongolia emerges from his mountain abode. He is accompanied
by his consort and the Red Master of Life. Around them, the eight
butchers who wield swords dance with great vigor. A skeleton holding
aloft a human heart (Begtse's attribute) surmounts the shrine, whose
predominant white color stands in stark contrast to the mass of red
figures below. Begtse and his shrine of skeletons have been depicted in
paintings; this superbly carved wooden shrine is the only known
three-dimensional example.